Fall Leaves and Allergies – How to Place Nice With the Neighbors

Over seven years ago, I decided it was time for a change. So, after spending two weeks on a road trip through the South and up the Atlantic coast I came to the conclusion that Atlanta seemed like a good place to move.

Don't get me wrong, where I moved from in Ohio is beautiful, and life there moves at a somewhat slower pace. I have always said, if I was raising children, as my brothers are, that would be the place I would do it. As a younger adult though, the dirt roads, Amish neighbors and relative lack of people didn't make for the best of environments to meet people. I chose Atlanta, and a big reason was because of all the trees.

Proof Nature Has a Cruel Sense of HumorSince moving, I've never lived in an apartment, houses only for me. I've never cared for the lack of privacy or a yard that comes with living in an apartment. With a yard though, and a lot of trees, I spend a good amount of time picking up fallen limbs, mowing, and at this time of year, raking leaves. They can be enjoyable tasks, things to either take my mind off of whatever it is that is bothering me or simple things that when I'm finished I can take instant gratification in the results. There are three things that I use, though, that do make the task a little easier on me and my neighbors.

Pine Cone of Doom?!? Quite Possibly.
_If the leaves have been neglected, then I'll rake them then stuff them into refuse bags. However, if the trees around your home like to taunt you like mine do, then it's generally a slow trickle of leaves that fall, that typically last for about twelve months. Thanks nature! In this case, I prefer to simply mulch them up with a bagged mower.

Some kinds of bagged mowers have the hard shells attached to the back. Wrong Kind of TurtleMuch like the turtle do, these mowers crawl around your yard while the shell-like contraption keeps things tucked away inside. If you have a push mower, like me, there are some attachable baggers that are better than others. As an added bonus, bagged mowers also reduce the chances of turning a harmless little pine cone into a projectile of doom. The last bagged mower I had left my neighborhood looking like the dustbowl had come again! The mower I currently have though uses a tighter mesh material that allows less dust and debris to escape. While I've not been given an official award by the neighborhood for ending the Smryna Dustbowl, I'm sure they appreciate it, if for no other reason than they stopped leaving bags of sand on my front porch.

_On the personal protection side of things, go with a mask. Because of the lay of my front yard, water settles there. This also means fine sediment like sand and allergens settle there as well. I'm Smiling Under My Dust MaskEven something as a simple as a dust mask can keep your lungs happy by blocking these fine particles. If you want something with better protection, there are semi-disposable HEPA masks that seal well and trap the vast majority of all particles you might be kicking up.

_The last thing I like to use is a neti pot. This can be either the actual teapot shaped neti device or something as simple as a squeeze bottle. Either way, when I'm done, I dump one packet of into the neti, mix with lukewarm water, then rinse away. If you're using this to flush your sinuses, and you feel full afterwards because all of the mix made its way down your throat

2 thoughts on “Fall Leaves and Allergies – How to Place Nice With the Neighbors

  1. Joe S March 25, 2014 / 9:51 pm

    Hi Kevin! Does wearing a mask during lawn mowing make any difference in allergy symptoms? I am allergic to many outdoor particles and mowing the lawn is torture so i'm considering trying out a mask. Is the one you wear comfortable and easy to breathe through? How often do you replace them? Thanks!

  2. KevvyG March 26, 2014 / 7:48 am

    This is the time of year when mask use really begins to pick up, particularly for regions where the warmer weather arrives first, like here in the South. Just yesterday we had a customer stop by the showroom and pick up a Respro Techno for himself as well as one for his son, specifically for mowing the lawn.

    Masks can significantly help to reduce allergy symptoms by blocking the allergens BEFORE they can make their way into nasal and sinus passages, causing allergic reactions. Even something as basic as an N95 dust mask can help to block much of the pollen that is stirred up when mowing the lawn. Many people opt for slightly better protection by going with Respro or 3M masks which can provide filtration of not only particles like pollen and dust but also odors/fumes or very fine particulate, respectively. Either way, instead of treating allergy symptoms after the fact, masks help prevent them in the first place. They can be a bit warm to wear, especially if you're push mowing, but masks/respirators with valves allow heat to escape a bit better than those without.

    The AllergyZone N95 mask I'm wearing above fits well, and I generally get 2-3 uses before I toss it. For me, this varies a little for me since my main purpose is to block the dust, which can be severe during dry stretches, as well as pine pollen, which is just now beginning to give everything outdoors a pea-soup green dusting.

    This type of mask is meant to be disposable, so a couple of uses is about all the more I'd recommend if it's very dry or dusty or if it is spring pollen season . With a Respro, 3M or ICanBreathe Mask that has replaceable filters, 50-60 hours of use is standard before replacing them. The AllergyZone I'm wearing comes three per pack, so one pack can generally last anywhere from 2-3 months if you're mowing once a week or so.

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